All democratic countries around the world face foreign interference in their electoral processes. Safeguarding the integrity of our elections is central to Canada's national security and to the protection of our democracy.
The Government of Canada has robust measures in place to protect our democracy and Canadians from foreign interference so that Canada's democracy remains one of the strongest in the world. This includes measures established under the Plan to Protect Canada's Democracy, and several new and updated measures implemented since the last general election in 2021.
Canada's security and intelligence organizations are at the frontline of Canada's effort to combat foreign interference campaigns against our democratic institutions.
The Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections (SITE) Task Force, comprised of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), which is currently serving as Chair, the Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSE), Global Affairs Canada (GAC), and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), provides enhanced monitoring and assessment of foreign interference threats during the election period. The SITE Task Force is Canada's principal mechanism to monitor the threat of foreign interference during elections. Since the 44th General Election, the scope of SITE was expanded to include monitoring domestic and violent extremism threats directed at elections, as well as electoral security.
Each SITE Task Force member agency works within their respective mandate to monitor and address election threats. During a general election, the SITE Task Force briefs the Panel administering the Critical Election Incident Public Protocol (CEIPP) on a regular basis.
The SITE Task Force assessments and advice are based on classified and unclassified intelligence collected on the threat environment around democratic processes and institutions. This includes intelligence about foreign threat actors' intentions and activities relating to foreign interference, as well as any observations of threats of violent extremism directed at elections or by-elections.
Critical Election Incident Public Protocol (CEIPP)
During a federal general election, the CEIPP (the Protocol) outlines the process to notify Canadians of an incident or an accumulation of separate incidents impacting the election. The Protocol is limited to incidents that occur during the writ period and that do not fall within the mandate of the Chief Electoral Officer.
The Protocol is administered by a group of experienced senior Canadian public servants (the Panel) who, working with the information provided by national security agencies, jointly determine whether the threshold for informing Canadians has been met.
During the election period, the Panel is briefed regularly by the SITE Task Force. A public announcement would only take place if the Panel determines that an incident or an accumulation of incidents threatens Canada's ability to have a free and fair election.
There are several considerations when making this determination:
- the degree to which the incident(s) undermine(s) Canadians' ability to have a free and fair election;
- the potential of the incident(s) to undermine the credibility of the election; and
- the degree of confidence officials have in the intelligence or information.
The threshold is high to ensure that communication about an incident does not in and of itself disrupt or influence the election.
If the Panel decides to inform Canadians, the announcement would focus on:
- the notification of the incident;
- what is known about the incident (as deemed appropriate); and
- steps Canadians should take to protect themselves if relevant.
The Panel began to prepare for this election in early 2024, and has been meeting on a regular basis to:
- Discuss the tools available to the Government of Canada to address incidents, beyond a public announcement;
- Receive briefings by civil society, security agencies, and key international partners;
- Discuss Guidance for Panel members for the implementation of the Cabinet Directive on the Critical Election Incident Public Protocol issued by the Clerk of the Privy Council; and
- Conduct early engagement with the Chief Electoral Officer and Commissioner of Canada Elections.
Informed and engaged citizens
An informed and resilient public is the strongest defence against disinformation. The Government of Canada has tools and resources to help recognize and resist disinformation and foreign interference.
Disinformation is a global issue that affects all democracies, and requires a response from all areas of society-governments, industry, civil society and citizens. The Government of Canada funds and supports Canadian research and civil society organizations to promote a healthy information ecosystem and help Canadians and the government understand online disinformation and its impact on Canadian society. For example, the government has contributed $38 million to more than 165 projects through the Digital Citizen Initiative (DCI) to build a base of evidence to identify potential action and develop future policy. Programs under the DCI support democracy and social inclusion in Canada by enhancing and supporting efforts to counter online disinformation and other online threats.
Open and ongoing communication
In accordance with a Ministerial Directive issued in May 2023, CSIS must advise members of Parliament (MPs) of credible threats against them or their families. This commitment aims to ensure the safety and security of parliamentarians in light of emerging risks. MPs may also receive security awareness or resiliency briefings from agencies including the RCMP, CSIS and CSE or threat-specific briefings, for example, on foreign interference or violent extremism under the Integrated Threat Assessment Center (ITAC)'s mandate on threats to public officials.
All of the major parties have identified points of contact who have been provided a clearance to receive threat information. At the drop of the writ, SITE members will provide baseline threat briefings to all of the parties. Throughout the general election, periodic updates will be provided, and if necessary, specific threat briefings can be provided.
Protecting voters
Voters may be targeted by foreign actors to overtly or covertly influence their vote.
Foreign states can use deceptive, covert, and/or illegal methods to advance their interests in Canada to our detriment. These state activities can range from harassment and intimidation to direct threats against individuals or their loved ones.
It is important for all individuals and groups living in Canada, regardless of their nationality and eligibility to vote in federal elections, to know that there are support mechanisms in place to help them when experiencing potential foreign interference or state-backed harassment and intimidation.
The RCMP and police of jurisdiction provide outreach and engagement to groups who may be at a higher risk of being targeted and will work together to maintain situational awareness of any threats targeting voters.
The public must remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity or information to local police or the RCMP.
Protecting candidates
Election candidates can be targets of cyber or physical threats during an election campaign. This can stem from foreign state actors who are trying to interfere in the election, or from those who might not agree with the candidate's platform. Individuals who are the target of a physical threat should contact their local police of jurisdiction.
The government is committed to keeping candidates, their campaigns, and their personnel safe throughout the electoral process. With an increased risk of threats of violence and intimidation directed at Canadian public figures, security services are available to the Leaders of the Political Parties recognized in the House of Commons during the general election period and immediately following the election period.
Ahead of the general election, the SITE Task Force has provided general briefings, and will provide further briefings on foreign interference to security-cleared representatives of political parties represented in the House of Commons to help educate, increase awareness, and open two-way communication between SITE and the political parties. These briefings identified the tactics used by actors that engage in foreign interference, specific issues or trends, and how to protect against threats.
Anyone who feels threatened online or in person, should report these incidents to their local police. If there is a fear of an immediate threat, they should call 9-1-1 immediately.
